1. Field of The Invention
The present invention relates to a lock mechanism provided on a back cover of a camera. In particular, the present invention provides a sturdy supporting structure for a lock mechanism of a camera without making a camera contour complicated.
2. Description of Related Art
In a camera, a camera body includes side walls and a front surface, which can be considered a main casing of a camera. A back cover, also included in the camera body, is attached to the main casing with a predetermined installing mechanism so that the back cover can be opened/closed. The main casing and the back cover constitute an overall camera contour. More concretely, one side of the back cover is pivoted at the camera body so that the back cover is swingably moved for the purpose of opening/closing the back cover and providing access to a film loading compartment in the camera. Usually, the non-pivoted end (free end) of the back cover is provided with a first hook, and a corresponding second hook to engage the first hook is provided on one of the side walls of the camera body. The first hook and the second hook, considered to be a part of a back cover lock mechanism, are arranged to engage when the back cover is closed. In a conventional back cover lock mechanism, the second hook including a predetermined shape is contained in a supporting portion, which is formed outside the camera body by forming a stepped portion, indenting from the contour of the camera body. The second hook is usually covered by a covering member which is designed to be a part of the camera contour. Accordingly, when the covering member is removed, the second hook is visible from outside.
In the camera having the conventional back cover lock mechanism stated above, the camera body including the side walls, the front surface, and the second hook have been made of synthetic resin. The structure of the camera made of synthetic resin has caused a drawback in that the synthetic resin material can not properly follow a mold of the camera contour because the shape of the main casing is complicated due to the supporting portion for the second hook. Inevitably, forming defects have often been observed in products, and the strength of the supporting portion of the second hook has duly become weaker.